Italian, 1500-40

Italian, 1500-40

Trestle table consisting of a pair of hinged leaves that can be placed on a folding X-trestle, the leaves covered with geometrical inlay on one side, and the trestles with geometrical inlay on all the show surfaces.

Decoration
The decoration on the face of both hinged leaves consists of a series of wide and narrow borders surrounding a central, square panel containing a blank shield within a circle, set between two panels with a geometrical pattern of 5, 9 and 12 pointed stars. Narrow borders of eight-pointed flowers within a running guilloche between dogstooth enclose a wide border of quatrefoil motifs arranged in a lattice. The underside of the leaves is plain, with four double-bands of pale wood stringing, centred on a circle with a blank shield. Repeated around the edges is a 4-pointed star (bone).

On both faces of the four legs and on the outer face of the stretchers is a running six-pointed star (bone) within an S-scroll double stringing in pale wood. On both sides of the legs and the top side of the lower stretchers is a dogstoot (bone) between twin bands of stringing in pale wood.

Construction
The trestles formed from four, square profile solid legs joined by rectangular-profile stretchers at both ends, and with a pin hinge at the mid-point of the legs. The stretchers are presumably tenoned to the legs. Two iron chains (of 13 long links) are fixed to one upper stretcher on rings, any link of the chain fitting over an iron hook in the opposite upper stretcher, so as to secure the trestle open and adjust the table height. The two hooks and rings are driven through the stretchers and the split ends bent over.

The two table leaves are joined by three iron 'butterly' form hinges (each held on 6 iron rivets) that fold 180 degrees. Each leaf is of breadboard construction, presumably with two or three long butted planks braced at both ends by a mitred cross-piece that is joined to the leaf at a long loose(?) tenon. Eigt iron strap reinforcers (one missing) are nailed around the corners of both panels.

The inlay decoration is created with individual tesserae of box, rosewood and bone inset into the walnut matrix wood.

Bought from Giuseppe Baslini of Milan

At the time of purchase (1869) the Museum's consultant registered some unease: "3 Feb 1869 no. 4303 Robinson art Referee Report

Table top & trestles, inlaid with ivory
1100 francs
reg no of document 2946
236-'69
Price £44-0-0
For some time past the Milanese have been getting hold of old plain walnut table tops of slabs of scarcely any value and then covering them with 'lavoro Certosino' which they execute with such perfection as to almost defy detection. I suspect that the table top and possibly the trestles also have been so dealt with but of course I may be mistaken. Had this marquetry been old I think we should have found it associated with a better class of cabinet-maker's work. It is possible that if the whole is old the price is moderate - but if my suspicion is correct the value would be depreciated fully one half.
M. Digby Wyatt
Feb 2 1869"

Folding tables, due to their versatility and ingenious design which allowed them to be easily moved, were extremely popular items of furniture, but rarely survive. Ideally suited for informal meals both indoors or outdoors, or as a support to table games, this example combines practicality with the refinement of its inlaid decoration.

The removeable, hinged top could of course be placed either way up on the trestle - either to show off the intricate inlaid top, or the plain side for more practical purposes, when it might also be covered with a cloth.

A folding or demountable table was apparently known in Renaissance Italy as 'tavola da campo' or 'tavola da campagna' (countryside table). They were used while travelling or during military campaigns, but also at home and by women. In the Medici inventory 1553, Eleanora di Toledo is recorded as having had two, una tavoletta da campo con sua piedi (a small camp table with its legs), recorded in her favourite room in Palazzo Vecchio, and another with legs of walnut con sue catene (with its chains), possibly similar to this table (236-1869).
Quoted in P.K.Thornton, The Italian Renaissance Interior 1400-1600 (London 1991), p.214.

Fausto Calderai and Simone Chiarugi note that "It is generally thought that this technique and type of decoration was most popular during the fifteenth century in the Veneto, due to the popularity of Islamic goods in this region. In fact, demand for these objects continued into the sixteenth century, both in central and northern Italy including Genoa. Objects with intarsia in the same style have been attributed with certainty to this city, which was particularly receptive to the influence of contemporary Spanish furniture."

Comparable objects/ornament
Cofanetto in the Villa Marfisa d'Este, Ferrara (northern Italy, 15th century)
See also V&A casket 5921-1859

North

Folding tables, due to their versatility and ingenious design which allowed them to be easily moved, were extremely popular items of furniture, but rarely survive. Ideally suited for informal meals both indoors or outdoors, or as a support to table games, this example combines practicality with the refinement of its inlaid decoration.

The removeable, hinged top could of course be placed either way up on the trestle - either to show off the intricate inlaid top, or the plain side for more practical purposes, when it might also be covered with a cloth.

236:1, 2-1869